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Tuesday, 4 March 2014

Parents told to be aware of special children’s needs : Madurai

It is important for parents to know about autism”

“It is important for parents to know about autism and
be an expert on their child affairs. Educate yourselves on your child’s
needs and contribute to their development,” said K. Geetha, Director of
PRAVAAG, Transitional centre for Children with Autism, at a ‘Win Autism’
workshop held at the Gandhi Memorial Museum here on Saturday.

The
day-long workshop was organised by Sparks Vidyalaya, a school for
autistic children and Association of Parent for Persons affected by
Autism (AAPPAA). It brought together the parents of autistic children
and special educators working with autistic children in the city. Ms.
Geetha emphasised that it was important for parents to be “able to
diagnose” their children early.

“Many parents notice
symptoms of autism in their children and wait to see if they will
outgrow the problems, which is wrong. Early intervention is effective
since it will speed up development and work towards reducing symptoms of
autism,” she said.

There are 15 schools in the
district that cater to the needs of special children. Andavar P. Jaidev,
founder of Sparks Vidyalaya School, said: “Madurai district has more
than 400 autistic children.

There is a lack of awareness about autism among officials. Special schools and centres have inadequate infrastructure.

“The
AAPPAA was formed so that we could come together and represent the
children and people with autism who need such facilities and we are
planning to approach the Social Welfare Department for the same,” he
said.

Sessions on speech therapy and communication
and understanding of sensory issues in children with autism were held by
resource persons from the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons
with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai.

C.K.
Dhanapandian, who spoke to the parents about management of challenging
and emotional problems in children with autism, said a group approach
towards addressing issues related to autism proved to be effective and
it was a step towards societal inclusion. “It is very important for
parents to be exposed to such multi-disciplinary sessions concerning
their children since most often they are unaware of how to deal with
emotional and communication related issues,” Mr Dhanapandian said while
speaking on the sidelines of the workshop.